Friday, May 9, 2008

Movie Review: Girls Rock!

By Erin Rice

Girls Rock! The Movie

The girls have a week to select a band, an instrument they may have never played before, and write a song. In between, they are taught by indie rock chicks such as Carrie Brownstein from Sleater-Kinney various lessons of empowerment from self-defense to anger management. At the end of the week, all the bands perform a concert for over 700 people. The film follows several campers: Laura, a Korean adoptee obsessed by death metal; Misty, who is emerging from a life of meth addiction, homelessness and gang activity; and Amelia, an eight-year-old who writes experimental rock songs about her dog Pipi. What happens to the girls as they are given a temporary reprieve from being sexualized, analyzed and pressured to conform is truly moving and revolutionary.

Source: Cinema Source

• Showtimes and more on Girls Rock! The Movie

Entering into Girls Rock! The Movie you initially think it will be a carefree romp through an all-girls rock camp. YouTube trailers showed a seven-year-old girl growling the lyrics to her own song, “San Francisco sucks sometimes.” The soundtrack is backed by punk-inspired, female led anthems. It seems almost as if you are simply settling in for some gender redefining music documentary.

Then you get the real message of the film.

Set in Portland, Oregon, the film takes place almost entirely at the Rock ‘N Roll Camp for Girls. The camp accepts girls between the ages of 8 and 18. For five days the girls decide what kind of music they want to make, form bands, write songs, learn new instruments or continue their education with ones they already know, and rehearse, rehearse, rehearse. On the last night of camp, every band performs one song in front of a 700 person strong crowd. All of this, however, is merely the setting for the movie. The point is much greater.

Girls Rock! explores the issues that girls and young women deal with everyday. Through the stories of four main characters, the viewer is given some insight into their lives and their feelings.

The youngest camper, Palace, after some coaxing, is able to scream into the mic with abandon. The immediate response is laughter and admiration for this seemingly unchained spirit. You learn through interviews with her mother, however, that at such a young age she’s dealing with image issues and possibly trying to hide her intelligence to fit into some mold. In the camp, she and her band experience difficulties, as Palace cannot control her anger.

Another young camper, Amelia, is into experimental music. She’s crafting a 14-song homage to her dog Pippi and explains early on that she’s not just trying to get famous, like many other women in music. Right on. Here’s an eight-year-old girl who is all about the music. But it’s not that easy. She’s an outcast among the other girls at school and most wants the friendship of the girl who apparently likes her the least. At camp, she has difficulty sharing her vision and letting her bandmates in.

Laura, 15, is obsessed with death metal and comes into camp very bubbly, open, and friendly. Like Amelia, she too is considered an outcast at school, and the pain from that slowly comes out. She admits, jokingly, to a fellow camper that she already hates everything about herself, which is why she doesn’t “care” when people pick on her.

The oldest of the four, Misty, 17, has probably the most devastating back story. With two parents who are fighting drug addiction and mental health issues, she’s been in and out of foster care and living with grandparents. She tried to find solace in a gang and has the tattoo to prove it and fought to overcome an addiction to meth, which she started taking to lose weight.

The camp becomes a catalyst for transformation in these girls. With an all-female staff of musical women, they are provided strong role models and get one-on-one attention. They take self-defense class, learn how to communicate with one another, and other activities beyond band rehearsal.

Between segments of the film, animations and statistics show the impact that mainstream culture has had on idealizing one type of woman. The camp provides an alternative, all-inclusive view. Not what a girl or woman should be, but what they can be.

The film is at once heartbreaking and inspiring. As you watch Laura go from hating herself to realizing her worth as the lead singer of her band; Misty find a group of people she can identify with; Amelia get her crowd of people who appreciate her experimental flair; and Palace find her voice and learn to communicate with others, it becomes obvious how hard it can be for girls growing up and what a difference such small actions can make.

And, yes, the soundtrack totally rocks.

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See more stories in:

• Arts > Movies / Film > Independent Films
• Women's Issues

Comments

Mike Orren Staff

At the time Erin wrote the review, it was playing at the Angelika Dallas. Unfortunately, it didn't even make it a week...

1 year, 5 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )